FRANKLIN, PANETTA INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO IMPROVE TIMELY ACCESS TO VETERAN CARE

Today, Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) reintroduced the bipartisan Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services (SCHEDULES) Act to ensure timely treatment for veterans seeking specialty care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is leading companion legislation in the Senate.

"As a veteran, I've seen firsthand the sacrifices our service members make, and our responsibility to them doesn't end when they leave the uniform," said Congressman Scott Franklin, House Military Construction/VA Appropriations Subcommittee member. "Too often, referrals to community care still come with delays. This bill sets a clear standard and ensures veterans get timely care, whether at the VA or close to home."

[INSERT QUOTE FROM REP. JIMMY PANETTA]

[INSERT QUOTE FROM SEN. RICK SCOTT]

In 2020, the VA updated its specialty care scheduling process, including a requirement that community care appointments be scheduled within seven days of a referral. But GAO found VA medical centers are less likely to meet that standard for veterans referred to community providers than for care delivered inside the VA. More importantly, the VA still has no clear benchmark for how long a veteran should wait to actually receive care after that appointment is scheduled. For veterans relying on community care, that means more uncertainty, less accountability, and too often, longer delays getting the care they've earned.

The SCHEDULES Act addresses these gaps by requiring the VA to:

• Establish a standard timeline for care from the moment a referral is entered until the veteran is seen for the related issue
• Report to Congress quarterly on progress implementing the new standard
• Provide transparency through performance metrics and rankings for each VA facility

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